Pear galette. It started out as a little whisper in the back of my mind, and became more and more insistent as the day went on and I went to class and then work. Pear galette. On the bus ride back to my apartment, I found myself getting off the bus one stop early so I could drop by the grocery store. I bought three bartlett pears. The next day was Saturday and I didn't have to work. I made some pate brisee, I peeled some pears. I made a pear galette. And here it is.

For the crust: Combine the flour and sugar. Cut the butter into this mixture until it is in pea-sized chunks that are covered in flour and sugar. Add the cold water in small increments, stirring in between- about 2 tablespoons to start, then 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together as one mass. Make sure the water is fully mixed in, but do not mix the dough more than necessary because this will make it tough. Form the dough into a ball, cover it in plastic and refrigerate it for 1-2 hours.

For the filling:Peel and slice the pears. Put them in a bowl with sugar and cinnamon and allow this to macerate while you roll out the crust.

To roll out the crust: Lay out a sheet of waxed paper on a flat surface. Spread a thin layer of flour out on the waxed paper, and turn the dough out onto the flour. Turn the dough over to coat all the sides with flour. Flatten the dough with your hand, then use a rolling pin to roll it out to a circle about 1/8 inch thick. The circle should be roughly 14 inches in diameter. Put the dough on a baking sheet, and spoon the pears and sugar onto the center of the circle. Spread them out, leaving a margin of 2 inches on each side. Fold the dough up around the edges and pinch the sides together to make a tight pouch around the pears. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 30 minutes, until the crust is golden. Dissolve 1 tsp brown sugar in 2 tbsp water, and brush this onto the galette immediately after you pull it out of the oven. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top of the galette and sift powdered sugar over it before serving.